THE REBEL COUNTESS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1558, 1 June 1916, Page 4

THE REBEL COUNTESS.

Some details about the “Rebel Countess” of the Irish Revolt were given to the Sydney Morning Herald by Miss Sarah Allgood, the leading lady of “Peg o’ My Heart” Company, who is a Dublin woman. She said that Countess Markievicz belongs to a well-known family of respected Irish Protestants, and, to heighten the irony of her behaviour, she is married to a Russian nobleman who lost an arm last year while lighting with his Emperoi*’s army for the cause of liberty and the Allies. The Countess’ reputation is that of a woman of pronounced views, constantly tilting at the world’s windmills, with the idea, of righting all wrongs and championing the oppressed, and, apparently, very fond of a fight. She possesses a striking and attractive personality. She is brunette, sft. lOin. in height, slim and graceful, and about forty years of age. At one time she established a theatre and played some of the leading parts herself, especially in some of the “Ninety-Eight” pieces written by .Johanna Redmond, daughter of the Nationalist leader. The interest in the plays fell off after the people became more happy and contented under the Lands Commission. The Irish-born Russian Countess preferred a, tight at all times. Dublin had its Boy Scouts Brigade, of which she was elected colonel. Then about two years ago she went to Manchester to urge the ntill girls to strike, which they did, and it ended in a disturbance in which the visitor was half killed. When the war broke, out the Countess placarded her residence with treasonable sentiments with the British,” etc. People in the neighbourhood were disgusted, but, remonstrances were useless, the offender remarking that her house was her own, and she would do as she liked. The aid of the police was invoked, and some arrived with ladders to tear down the bills. Countess Markievicz was ready for them. She had collected and armed some of her “dear little scouts,” and drawing her own revolver, vowed she would shoot the lot if they did not clear out at once. The argument was unanswerable, and the placards remained till the wind and rain dispersed (hem, and the Countess was soon deep in the seditious councils of the. Sinn Feiners, and “had other (ish to fry” than putting up placards.